Customer Reviews

Hooteroll?

5 star:		(11)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

This is a brilliant album from beginning to end. It alternates between high energy, fired-up, funky organ, drum & bass driven tracks with fuzz guitar solos akin to Funkadelic's first album & James Brown or Brian Auger and beautiful, trippy instrumental ballads.

The up-tempo tracks have the rhythm section cookin' and Howard Wales smokin' on the organ with Garcia grooving along and completely at home with the tunes in funky Eddie Hazel fuzz-guitar land and sometimes even venturing into Reggie Lucas/Pete Cosey land of the Miles Davis "Agharta" album. Then you have the slow tracks "Up from the Desert," "One A.M. Approach" & "Midnight in Marin" which are gorgeous compositions with definitely the best Garcia electric playing I've personally ever heard. These are what I always play first for anyone who says they don't understand what's so great about Jerry Garcia. The man is a deeply soulful cat who values feeling more than superficial chops and that's what great music is all about in the end

This is also the album many people will like who aren't big fans of the Grateful Dead because it's a bit more of a departure into a grittier, jazzy urban sound , away from their more countrified, hick influences and from Garcia's bluegrass influenced recordings.

Highest recommendation and one to pull out as the ultimate demonstration of Garcia's hippie-renaissance-man versatility.

Enjoy Hooteroll? and Side Trips Vol. 1 for the fantastic Hammond playing by Howard Wales and it doesn't hurt that JG comes along with the package. I have owned the original Hooteroll? release on Lp record since the mid 1970's and was spoiled by Howard's playing. He squeezes every button on the B3 and pushes the Leslie to it's limits using every tweak and whistle the horn can throw. I've seen several good Hammond players live throughout the years but none of them pushed it to the limits like Howard does and I've always walked away from those concerts feeling somewhat disappointed. My only disappointment with the CD release of Hooteroll? is the fact that one of the better songs where Howard really pushes the envelope was left off the CD. What happened to "A Trip To What Next"? The song was replaced by "Evening In Marin" which is a re mix or second take of "Up From The Desert". It would have been a gem to include all the material on the new CD. Hopefully "A Trip To What Next" will be released on Side Trips Vol. 2. Hooteroll? If your a Garcia fan and haven't heard it... your in for a treat. One of the best projects in Jerry's discography.

This has been one of my favorite albums since the early '70's and we FINALLY get A Trip To What Next on cd along with two bonus songs recorded in concert on 1-28-72 at the Palace Theatre in Providence RI. This albums has a very heavy jazz feel and may not be up everyone's cup of Kool Aid. This albums was first released in 1971 on Douglas Records and quickly became a rarity. In 1987, this was released on Rykodisc with two outtakes but missing A Trip To What Next and with a slightly edited version of One AM Approach. Both are included here in their entirety. The song layout on all the cd versions including this one, is also different from the lp versions. I should point out that Howard wales plays the organ on the original studio version of Truckin' American Beauty.

The disc starts off with the high energy Morning In Marin which was one of the bonus tracks on the Rykodisc version. Da Bird Song is a wonderful song a more laid back than the opening number. South Side Strut gets things jamming and was the original opening song on the lp. Up From The Desert is a nice laid back song with great playing from all the musicians and I love the effect Jerry uses on his guitar which blends in perfectly with Howard's wonderful keyboard work, John Kahn's bass and the horns. Next, A Trip To What Next makes it's first appearence since '71!!! This starts out with everyone playing a nice melody before giving way to a trippy organ solo which then fades back into the intro at the beginning of the song. DC-502 is another driving song before giving way to the beautiful One AM Approach with just Howard and Jerry. Uncle Martin's is a fun song and is followed by Evening In Marin which was the other bonus song on the Rykodisc version. Evening In Marin is pretty much a slightly longer Up From The Desert but it's nice to have. The bonus songs She Onced Lived Here features Jerry at his country and western best while Sweet Cocaine is a blistering blues number with Roger "Jelly Roll" Torres giving a great vocal performance.

I just picked up this album today in Poland.. I bought it thinking it would be typical, good enough Jerry so what the hell. I can't tell you how happy I am that I've bought it. Knowing nothing about Howard Wales, but loving the old 60s Hammond organ sound I must say that I am abashed that I've never heard of the guy. His playing is F***ing great and Jerry has really suprised me with the funkadelic style he conjured up on this most excellent album.. Think the soundtrack of a 70's blacksploitation flick mated with suprisingly jazzy Jerry impros and you've got some EXCELLENT product. This is as good as Jerry gets and even non-Dead fans should groove on this baby.

From the multicolored artwork to the spaced out guitar and organs this is a classic piece of 70's pop-jazz (just kind of made up that category but it's hard to call this fusion). It sounds like Jerry was exploring some of the same ground Miles Davis was exploring but he still keeps the music in the Grateful Dead genre. The results are a little different but make for an enjoyable journey that any fan of the dead or Garcia should enjoy.

Others have expressed my sentiments about the music but since when is this a Jerry Garcia/Howard Wales release as opposed to a Howard Wales/Jerry Garcia release.....

I'm pleasantly surprised to see all the 5-star ratings for this (usually underrated) CD. With repeated listenings, it just gets better and better. Also, as someone who loves intstrumentals, it's a rare treat to have a Jerry Garcia project that is 100% instrumental, no vocals whatsoever. Heck, even Dark Star (my all-time favorite) has a small bit of vocals! If you read lots of music reviews, a very common compliment is, "My only criticism is that the CD is too short." This certainly applies to Hooteroll, as it's only about 34 minutes, and those 34 minutes, WONDERFUL as they are, just fly by. By the way, what is Jerry passing to Mr. Wales on the back cover picture? Hmmmmmm. Anyway, if you love instrumental music, you can't go wrong with this CLASSIC.

I'm no pro-fesh'nal music reviewer but I think this is one of the best Garcia side projects I've ever heard. Very, very laid back and funky. Great for those early morning come down sessions. (sigh).

The Grateful Dead were clearly the grand-daddies of all the Jam Bands that would follow, but even in light of that it is still interesting how far ahead of its time this particular album is... especially in light of the million bands that would follow in the footsteps of Phish and JTQ - - and so here it is, a Hammond Driven / groove mixed with trippy fusion album from the source... and considering that it was recorded back in 1971, it is amazing.

As for the sound... overall, quite funky at times...in fact, a few of the tracks reminded me of some of the stuff a group called Black Heat was doing around that time - - Though the album is a bit "sloppy" at times, once the band gets into a groove, they're into a groove... I think a key problem is the bass playing on the album (both organ and real) - - sometimes a bit out of sync, though everything else is working... Howard Wales's playing itself is very interesting... at times very gospel influenced (he really works the Leslie and Drawbars!), but suddenly he might start ripping into a Jimmy Smith type solo or some groovy chord comp. (Could be the acid kicking in?) - - between Garcia and rhythm guitarist Curly Cook, the groove is really driving... Bill Vitt the drummers also keeps things hot and on the edge.... though a bit inconsistent at times, suddenly, the track will sound like its about to flop and next thing you know, its really hot, gritty, funky or something good is happening...

As for my favorite track... Uncle Martin's - - a sampling DJ/acid Jazzheads wet dream... '70s porno soundtrack funky... and I mean that in a positive way ! ! ! Wales is really ripping on that one... Vitt is outfunking Bernard Purdie... the bass player IS with it... and Jerry Garcia's backing is REALLY REALLY REALLY funky !

Overall, I'm tempted to give the album 4 stars, but when the band is cooking... they're so funky, tripped out and way out there, its impossible not to forgive the occasional jammy incoherence now and then.

This is one of my absolute favorite albums in the Garcia solo catalog. His playing is quite inspired throught, as he seemd to benifit tremendously from Howard Wales' funky organ improvisations. On the whole much more funky than the Dead, expecially the Dead of '71 when this album was recorded. Anyone whith even a passing interest in Garcia shoudl certinly check this album out.